Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

I love my new bag! I just got back from breaking it in on a 2 week New Zealand vacation. The two side water bottle holders are nice and more versatile than I thought (also give quick access to other items like maps). I didn't carry my laptop this trip, but it fits nicely. The organizer section neatly held my passport, phone, ipod, lip gloss, pens, etc. and the outside mesh pocket stashed anything in a hurry! The only tiny thing it is missing (which I can do without) is a key ring. My keys quickly fell to the bottom of the pocket, but maybe I can get a hook and fix that myself? Anyway, it is a great bag!

This bag is cooler than cool. Holds a bunch, and still looking good. I'm in college. This bag really hauls around all my 100 lb books. North Face is a trendy brand name. Nordstrom sells this bag for more than Zappos. You guys/girls are the coolest, nicest, and the friendliest reps that all other stores should copy from. Keep doing what you do Zappos!

Great item, both durable and stylish.

This is a great backpack for college or high school. My daughter took a Recon North Face back pack purchased 5 years ago through high school now in third year of college. Her brother had gone through numerous backpacks and all had to be replaced. This is large enough for books, 3" binders and miscellaneous materials for high school. It also has a padded pocket for my daughters Mac 15" lap top. It is worth the additional money. The quality seems the same from the 2004 model and current one.

The very best backpack I have ever owned. Light weight, sturdy and I can pack my laptop securely in it. I love it! I also liked Zappos\' price and fast delivery!

I love this back pack! It's sturdy, lots of pockets to store stuff in. It's lightweight and durable and I love the reflectors.

This was a last minute purchase for a trip. I needed a backpack that could just be a backpack but I also needed one to handle a laptop. This is far and away better than the laptop bag my company provided for me for one simple reason: It holds more and is much lighter. It doesn't have as padded of a laptop area, but I don't feel I need a lot of padding. So far, excellent!

Bought this bag mainly for use on vacation and it has been worth every penny! Plenty of interior room in the multiple storage areas plus slots/pouches for pens, etc. The large outer mesh pocket is great for a towel or books and the side mesh pockets are great for water bottles. I have it in the green color and I absolutely love it! Highly recommend!

I like this backpack a lot and I find it very useful. I work full time and am a full time student so I wanted something that I could haul around all day and have my laptop and other items both secure and very accessible. Only thing to keep in mind is that this backpack is a bit heavy, and then when you fill it up, it’s even heavier. Still worth it and shows the material quality. My boyfriend has one now too!

This has got to be the best backpack I have ever purchased! Not only does it look good, it also has all the pockets you could possibly want. Also straps that make sure everything stays put, so the pocket for your laptop is secure, so no worries! Definitely a good buy!

Nice backpack - I use mine instead of a briefcase while going to/from work. I put my lunch and any other odds and ends I need in it. Works great for that. I plan to take it on some air travel soon but have not so far. No plans to actually take it hiking.

Exactly what I was looking for - I bought this bag because it has space for my laptop and will hold my nalgene water bottle. I haven't used it much yet, but it holds quite a bit of stuff and seems pretty comfortable. I am in college and plan to use it for a school backpack. Also, I am studying abroad next semester and it makes the perfect carry-on. Plenty of space for my laptop, cd player, a change of clothes, etc. It would also work when traveling light on weekend trips. I would definitely recommend this bag. Also, the shipping was very fast even during the holidays. I would buy from this site again.

Recon II Review - I love my backpack. It has a laptop cushion thing in the back. Although I don't have a laptop right now, I love that thing because when I don't carry something that's hard like a binder or a book, my backback doesn't bend. I hate when backpacks do that. The side water bottle holders and nice because they have adjustable things that make sure your watter bottle stays and doesn't fall out. Overall, this is just a nice backpack.

Great backpack. Holds a lot of stuff, still sits comfortably. Nice smooth zippers, firm back and cushioned laptop sleeve feels safe and secure. I wish is had a cell phone pocket on the strap though, that is a great feature and it's annoying to not have one. This bag was my carry on across the country and day to day it lugs a bunch of ridiculously heavy books and is none the worse for wear yet!

This is a fantastic, multipurpose backpack. I mainly use it for hauling my giant heavy college text books to class, and it's often hard to believe I am carrying as much as I am. But I also wanted a bag I could travel with and bring all my essentials. It fits a 15 inch laptop, a decent sized notebook, a DSLR camera (which was in it's own padded case) with all it's accessories, a pouch with toiletries, a big clutch style wallet, sunglasses case, a paperback book, light sweater, cell phone, water bottle, pens and pencils. It's only in one size but the sternum strap makes it easy to keep the shoulder straps from digging into your armpits. My only complaint is that it does not have the cell phone pocket on the strap that's shown in the video. Fortunately it will be easy enough to clip one on.

This is a great bag. I got it because I liked the multi color black with the green. I also needed a new bag because my Big Shot broke. I wish this one had two full compartments like that one, but I guess that is why it was not as expensive. First I got the North Face Borealis in the same color, but man that was way too small. It may be good for an elementary school kid, but then again why buy a kid that young such an expensive backpack. North Face should seriously market it as a kid or ladies' bag since it is way too small. With the Recon, the chest strap that goes over your sternum was a little stiff. That is, other bags had it so it slides easily. Mine came way too high and I thought it was going to choke me and I could not slide it. I thought it was permanent. But I guess it is fully removable, if you wish. I like it but I wish it was sewn in with another strap that slides instead of the hard hook like pieces on these. I do like the mesh pocket in the front. It is great for throwing a towel or grooming kit in for a weekend trip and it even discretely holds my iPad when I am on my way to school. The bag itself fits a good amount of gear. Another minor complaint I do have, though, is that after watching the video on the Zappos website demonstrating this bags features I was kind of disappointed. The video says the bag has compression straps on the bottom of the bag. The pictures of the bag however make it seem like they are not there. They are not there. My old bag had them and they do come in handy compressing your bag even more or I used to sometimes put a yoga mat or camping mat down there when I needed to. But other than that, I would say it is a good bag.

This is not bad at all, I wish the shape was more square and less round, yet there is still enough space for all your books or clothes for a weekend getaway. The stowaway hip belt is a great bonus, much better than these convertible carry on backpacks sold by other retailers. The laptop compartment does not reach all the way to the bottom, probably for protection, but be warned that it only fits 15" laptops max.

Great backpack for everyday use. I wish it was a little bit larger but it works well for a grad student. Very comfortable and the pouches help with organization.

This is the most comfortable day-type backpack I have ever worn. It is also very attractive. I use it for shopping and every day stuff, but not for hiking as of yet. The only thing missing for me is a zippered compartment in the inside area closest to my back. I want that because I am concerned about the possibility of pick-pockets, especially when my belongings are on my back and therefore not in my sight. I would feel more secure if I could put my cellphone/wallet/keys in a zippered compartment at the bottom of the bag in the compartment nearest my back. If you are only using this for hiking it does not matter. I love the way the backpack looks and feels, so I will have to come up with something creative to make it work, so that I do not have to wear it on one shoulder to protect my belongings.

Excellent, well-built backpack with all of the features most people need. It always takes a while to get used to any new backpack, but with the Recon that time went by very fast. The only dislikes I have are the inability to completely conceal the waist and chest straps. Earlier models had a pouch to conceal these. Otherwise, big, durable zippers, well-sewn seams, and great aesthetics.

Not for heavy duty book/laptop carrying - Laptop compartment didn't provide full protection, parts of laptops with high gloss finish could still be exposed. The layer that divides the laptop is also flimsy. The backpack was not wide enough to house my 2 inch binder. I am going to return it. The style is awesome, however, it wasn't suitable for my use.

While typical of tnf in terms of attractive appearance, looks can be deceiving. The pack is poorly designed and not ergonomic in function. The side straps at the midpoint of the pack creates a choke point not allowing larger items, such as lunch bag, to be placed into the lower, and roomier portion of the pack. In addition, the concentration of pockets above this choke point causes it to be top heavy so that it is constantly flopping backwards. The design seems to come from a novice at tnf and is truly one of the more disappointing purchases from tnf. Especially in view of the cost which I surmise was just paying for the name brand rather than a quality product.

I use this product for work and for when I travel. It's holds a lot of items with different compartments for organizing. I use the larger compartment to transport 2 eleven lb. weights at time just to give an idea of the durability & capacity. I would recommend this product and would absolutely purchase it again.

I ought this bag wanting something sturdy to hold my books and it has delivered!! It fit all my book perfectly, and is in great shape I use it everyday and still looks new. The backpack has a very sturdy zipper which is hard for me two find my last few backpacks failed to keep working when their zippers broke. I feel like I can count on this bag to hold everything and not worry about it breaking!!

Great backpack I use it to carry many things . Durable stylish roomy and lightweight. Comfortable to wear on your back even when its heavy. Backpack is well structured in my opinion.